Howdy pals!
What is the meaning of the part in bold? I couldn't find its meaning in any dictionaries.
O'reilly got owned by David letterman.
Thanks in advance.
***** NOT A TEACHER *****
(1) Thanks for teaching me a new expression.
(2) I had never heard of it (I'm an old man), so -- of course --
I asked "Professor Google."
(3) As you know, Mr. O'Reilly has a television program that
discusses current events. Some people do not like him. And Mr.
Letterman also has a television show late at night. He tells jokes and
has guests. Some don't like him, either. Both gentlemen (if I may be
honest) are often rude and have a big mouth!!!
(4) I remember reading that recently Mr. O'Reilly appeared as a guest
on Mr. Letterman's show. I didn't pay any attention to the story until
I saw your post and consulted "Professor Google."
(5) I learned that "to own someone" = to defeat someone; to make
someone look like a fool (idiot); to embarrass someone.
(6) Some Web sources say that this expression started as a way to
describe hackers getting control of a computer system. (Of course,
I do not know whether that is true: Be very careful what you read on
the Web -- including posts by non-teachers like me.)
(7) Here is an example I read:
Peter got owned by Aunt Clara when he tried to steal her purse.
That is, she did something to embarrass him when he tried to steal
her purse. Maybe she kicked him in the ____.
(8)
Therefore, I guess that we can say that Mr. Letterman "defeated"
Mr. O'Reilly. That is, in some way (I did not see the show; this old
man was fast asleep) Mr. Letterman made a fool of Mr. O'Reilly. Both
men have a reputation for embarrassing people. So I guess that when
Mr. O'Reilly agreed to be a guest on Mr. Letterman's show, "everybody"
wanted to know: who was going to "win." Maybe one of my fellow
Americans saw the show and can tell you and me more about the
"contest."
